ENDPOINTS. Primary endpoint will be the need of MV within the first 72 hrs of life [(excluding the transient tracheal intubation for surfactant replacement: e.g. Intubation-SURfactant-Extubation (INSURE)]. Success criteria will be the lack of MV in the first 72 hrs of life. Secondary endpoints will be the occurrence of MV >3 hrs of life, length of MV and other non invasive respiratory supports (NCPAP/BiPAP/N-IMV), need of surfactant and number of doses, mortality, occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD:oxygen-therapy at 36 post- conceptional age), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), retinopahty of prematurity (ROP) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, and length of NICU and hospital stay.